Coinciding with the National Day of Prayer, Quincy’s Annual Prayer Breakfast was held on Thursday May 2nd. Almost 300 attendees packed The Tirrell Room in Quincy to hear speakers and faith leaders address the theme of ‘Living our Faith.’ The event was sponsored by Mayor Thomas P. Koch. “The Prayer Breakfast has really evolved since we first started,” said Mayor Koch. “The participation we see from various houses of worship comprises many faith traditions, and it is a wonderful expression of the rich diversity that exists in this great City.”

Program participants and planning committee members came from 18 different faith traditions and houses of worship. From Catholic to Latter-day Saint, Hindu to Buddhist the event focused on the strength communities receive through people living their religion.

Following a welcome from Mayor Koch various religious leaders offered prayers and musical numbers and three speakers from the community addressed the theme of Living our Faith. Susan Bruce, age 100 and a congregant at Central Baptist Church, talked about her experiences living in Quincy for the past century and how her faith has sustained her. Between prayers and musical numbers from other religious leaders Kevin Coughlin, of the Quincy City Council talked about the formative power of faith and family in his life. The final speaker was Matthew Nielsen an 18 year old member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and son of Dr. Steven Nielsen of Nielsen Eye in Crown Colony. Matthew is graduating from Boston College High School this month and has been called to serve as a missionary for his church in Vancouver BC. He spoke about what it means to be a Mormon and how his personal religious convictions, high school education, friends and family all shaped his decision to become a missionary for the next two years.

The breakfast concluded with all 275 attendees signing God Bless America.  Rev. David Wooster executive director for The Esther R. Sanger Center for Compassion commented “Partnership, community, neighbors – this is what Quincy is about and the Prayer Breakfast is a reminder that these things come from our faith. The Prayer Breakfast is a welcome antidote to the flood of bad news that sometimes distracts us from the good that is happening in our community every day.”

Proceeds from the breakfast benefited both The Esther R. Sanger Center for Compassion/Quincy Crisis Center and Interfaith Social Services. Many more pictures from the event can be seen on Interfaith Social Services’ Facebook page.

 
Photo Caption: Pictured are some of the program participants at The 3rd Annual Quincy Prayer Breakfast. Back row: Rev. Eric Hillegas, St. Chrysostom's Episcopal Church; Rick Doane, Executive Director, Interfaith Social Services; Pastor David Martinez, Central Baptist Church; Matthew Nielsen, member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Kevin Coughlin, Quincy City Council; Rev. David Wooster, Executive Director, Esther R. Sanger Center for Compassion; Mike Lembke, Faith Lutheran Church. Front Row: Susan Bruce, congregant at Central Baptist Church; Master Chi Yiu and Master Kwan Yin, Thousand Buddha Temple; Priest Anand Sharan Shukla, The Vrindavan Preservation Society; Quincy’s Mayor Thomas P. Koch; Kumu Gupta, Mayor's Prayer Breaskfast Steering Committee; Pastor Heidi Johnston, Faith Lutheran Church.

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